Universal Voice
by bookworm235
Summary: This story follows the life of a girl, starting from her childhood. She has been blessed with a gift, and will go through a time of despair then happiness. This fanfiction may include other OCs, singing/lyrics, and references to other fanfictions. It will be greatly helpful to the reader to have youtube nearby. Swearing, slight pairings and a lot of chapters. NOT YAOI/YURI!
1. Prologue

"Oh dear, it's not crying…", The midwife gasped. She cleaned the newborn's nose and mouth, and started patting its back. The baby started sputtering, but instead of crying like most babies, it started _singing_. A beautiful song without words… She looked outside the window and saw that every living thing, birds, cats, dogs, even the plants are leaning towards the child. She stared at her in wonder. How can a child who just lost its mother make such a beautiful sound?! Her voice slowly became a soft hum and exhaustion caught up with the midwife. Placing the baby into the crib, she laid down beside it. Before long, the lullaby of the child had caused her to fall into a restful sleep.

Outside, the lights of day started to fade, turning the sky into a rich gradient of purple and gold. If you had looked into the horizon you would've seen a flock of birds, gracefully gliding among the shifting colours. Fifty birds flew through the window, landing gently, as if they didn't want to wake the little bundle of joy. The birds were of an astonishing colour, as if they've been dyed from flying in the sky itself. Each of them pulled out a feather and laid it in the baby's crib. The feathers themselves shined glossily like metal and the gold and purple colours differentiated with the light. By the time the last and largest bird reached the bed, the baby was covered in a thick protective blanket of feathers. It pulled off the longest and most beautiful feather from its tail and laid it upon the child's head. The legacy shall be continued, now, always, and forever…

**A/N: Hello people of the internet, I had to edit this chapter because some parts of it needed a bit more description and to clear up some stuff. There is a time-skip between this chapter and the next one, so stay tuned.**


	2. Seven Crappy Hours of Our Lives

**_Exactly 9 years and 364 days later…_**

"Cantare N. Sonia! Wake up! You have work to do!"  
"Ugh, five more minutes!" yelled the sleeping figure.  
"Breakfast is going to be gone in 5-4-3…" the person said in a warning tone.  
"Alright I'm coming down"

Said girl climbed out of bed and stumbled to the closet, pulling on dark blue shorts and a plain pale yellow shirt. She ran down the stairs in hopes of getting at least some breakfast, instead of having to go hungry. And she was disappointed to no end. All of the pieces of bread in the basket set out for the guests were gone, presumably in stomachs. She sighed and took to her station behind the counter, slumping down onto the desk. "I think I'll just go and catch a few 'Z's", she thought. Unfortunately for her, she didn't notice the figure behind her.

"BOO!"  
Sonia yelped and then turned around and jumped onto her attacker, laughing all the while. The attacker stood up with the little girl still clutching onto her like Velcro.  
"Hello there my little songbird, did you manage to catch breakfast?"

The little girl answered by pouting and the older female chuckled. "Well luckily for you, I have a piece of toast which I saved…" Sonia looked at her with a spark of hope. "…For myself. Don't look at me like that, it's not my fault you woke up late, I'm hungry too", she said.

"Please, please, please give it to me Aunt Zia. You said yourself that a growing child should eat more", said Sonia, looking at her guardian with irresistible puppy eyes. Zia remained unfazed, the puppy eyes may work on everyone else in the world but she knows how cunning the child can be.

"No, unless…" the gears of the adult's business-like mind turned in frenzy, thinking how to put this situation to her advantage, "You perform for tonight and tomorrow".  
The little girl agreed hesitantly, knowing that there must be more to the deal.  
"That's my girl", smiled Zia, "Now let's get you ready for school".

Zia led Sonia back to her room and sat her on the stool. Sonia looked into the mirror and a little girl with a petite mouth, large golden eyes and cascades of shining purple and golden hair. Zia brushed the long luscious hair and said curtly, "You should cut it", knowing that it would sell a pretty penny.

"Whatever you say Aunty", she responded. She knew for a fact that every time the older woman tried to cut the hair, she just wouldn't be able to, just because Zia couldn't resist the beauty of the hair that fitted so perfectly on the little kid's head. Zia proceeded with forcing the hair into a thick braid that ran down her spine.

Glancing at the time, the little girl then jumped off the stool once the morning ritual was finished and dashed across the room. Grabbing her beloved black leather shoulder bag stuffed with books and ran downstairs. She stuffed her feet into her shoes and shouted "Ittekimasu!" over her shoulder, and didn't wait for the response of "Itterasshai!" from her aunt.

She ran to the village school and sat down with the other students, ten seconds before the teacher came in. Kobashi village is full of diversity and talents, but all children below age 8 go to the same school to receive 'basic' education and to increase the intellectual ability of the students. On their eighth birthday, they can choose to follow various arts thus, going to different academies to study or become apprentices. Majority are able to follow their profession until adulthood, others may choose to stay at home as a housewife or try farming, that's what _usually_ happens. There was once a young child who wished to choose piracy; of course, this was met with great disapproval. The child disappeared the next day; this caused a ruckus and was remembered for a long time, by now, it was no more than a rumour.

The teacher smiled at the students and said, "Today, we shall be continuing our exercises with algebra". This was met with multiple groans and complaints. Sonia smirked and flipped open to the page where she left off yesterday and started. The boy behind her tugged at her hair and pointedly said, "You're not supposed to start, what if you got the wrong page?"

Sonia shrugged and replied, "I simply like algebra, and it doesn't matter if I get the wrong page, I still did the exercise". A few girls sniggered on her right and made no effort to conceal their comments. Anyone listening would at least catch the words of "cheater… smarty-pants… show-off…" and other such disagreeable names.

She somehow managed to survive school these past years by burying herself in work and impressing the teachers. This gave her a shield _in _school, unfortunately though, she was without _after_ school. The bell rang, signalling the end of 'Seven Crappy Hours of Our Lives'. Mr Ku said, "Finish off page 178 and start on the descriptive writing task", he checked his planner and added, "Those whose birthday is in August stay behind for a while". Sonia packed and went up to Mr Ku; he looked at her intently and asked, "Do you know what you want to do?"

Sonia nodded meekly and said, "I'm going to do performing arts"  
Mr Ku looked at Sonia's record and said, "You have straight As for every subject, I'm sure that an academy would take you in". He started writing and didn't stop until he remembered he had a student in front of him. Waving his arm, he mumbled "Dismissed."

* * *

**A/N: Not much plot for this one, it's more like giving background.**


	3. Damage

Sonia ran down the dirt path, hoping she would be able to avoid having to defend herself. Closing her eyes, she was able to hear everything on the island, from the flutter of a butterfly's wing to a baby crying, the baby being Mr Ku's very own child. It wasn't surprising that she was able to hear the footsteps chasing her and the whispers in the bushes in front of her. Whilst recognising the voices, she tripped over a _very_ still _rock_, one that is _incapable_ of making _noise_.

Several kids jumped onto her pinning her to the ground. It's perfectly natural for a child to start thrashing with all her might, attempting to throw off the ambushers. One boy, several years older than her stood in front of her, placing his foot onto her cheek. He smirked as the victim attempted to wriggle herself out of the grasp of the attackers. "Now now girly, you know that I will keep doing this to you until you agree".

Sonia snarled and whispered "Never".

"What did you say? I didn't quite hear it." He said, staring at her with a feral look in his eyes.

"Never!" Sonia shouted. What they didn't suspect was supersonic sound waves to come out of her mouth.

All of them let go of her to prevent themselves from going deaf. She stood up, only to be pushed down again by the 'leader'. She looked up and saw around a dozen of them warily surrounding her in a loose circle. Three of them charged from one side, Sonia took a _very_, no, _extremely_ heavy English book and smashed it in the face of the boy in the middle. All of them winced, knowing that it must've hurt. Standing up she put herself in a fighting stance described in one of her books. Knees and elbows bent, ready to shift her weight anywhere. Suddenly, she felt the urge to sing, and like always, she gave her 'audience' a spectacular performance.

* * *

_Have you ever doubted your destiny?_

_Tell me who's last standing,_

_Is it you or me?_

_Have you ever seen the place that never sleeps?_

_And the god who became a human being?_

Furious that a girl can still sing in such a situation, the 'boss' ordered his subordinates to attack her. Dodging the various attacks of wooden clubs, rocks, and home-made weapons with super-human speed; including several back-flips and giving some people a 'boost', to have them face planted into the ground.

_暗闇 揺れてる照明__  
__隠微な香り 不規則__ All days  
Capture the game __秒読み 当然__  
__鍵付き迷路だろうと__ I'm __夜行性_

The only bystander (lead boy himself) gazed in shock, his face growing redder and redder of embarrassment. His troupe defeated by a single _girl_? Not possible, the girl must be using some trick…but what?

_I, I, I'm going insane  
Don't, Don't, Don't put me in chains  
I won't control my brain  
__だって__  
__惜しむものなど__  
__いまさらないし_

He swore that the girl looked at him with a death glare at the words he understood. Looking at the way you fight, I want you to be mine even more now, I'll put you in chains and _keep_ you in chains.

_Break out of my shell  
__迷わないで__  
__ここにはもういられない__  
Break out of my shell  
__ひとりなんて__  
__きっとだれも望まない_

"Well whatever shell you had holding back this talent sure is broken", he said, mostly to himself. He chuckled, knowing that he'll have her in his hands in sooner or later. He walked to the middle of the 'battlefield' and stared at her, before he knew it, her shoulders tensed and he received a full-force uppercut.

_否定だけ__  
__繰り返し__  
__それで__  
__何が__  
__変えられる_

Sonia stared as she saw him hit the ground with a thump. Unconscious kids were strewn left and right, scars and bruises forming on their body. Disgusted with herself, she grabbed her bag which was left on the ground and resumed her running.

_逆さまの世界に__  
__いつまで__  
__宙づり__  
Let me fall down, down, down_

She ran down the hill, away from the crime scene as fast as possible. Not believing the monster she had within. Anyone who fought and enjoyed it was a monster, people shouldn't fight, history has surely proved that. Then why was she fighting?

_Somebody save my life  
Down, down, down  
I can't heal this damage!_

* * *

**A/N: Hello people, in case some people are curious what song Sonia was singing, it's 'Damage' by Namie Amuro (I've been listening to her songs since I was a baby, still love her). It really fits in with the 'fight scene', as for why she was singing a song that exists only in 'our world', it will be explained in further chapters. Why she was being targeted will also be explained later (I'm just that mean). I'll also be updating a lot more often since it's summer holidays (YAY!), so happy holidays to people who are on holiday :D**


	4. Put Em Up

She didn't stop running until she slammed the door behind her. Kicked off her shoes, ran to her attic room and threw herself onto the bed. When the adrenaline wore off, she flipped onto her back and breathed, trying to regain some oxygen. Looking at her dirt covered clothes; she sighed and grabbed a pair of dark blue-green track pants with two black stripes down the edges and a black tank top. The bathroom was small but sufficient; she ran a cold shower and spent an extra long time on her hair, after all, it's her inborn treasure.

She stepped out of the bathroom refreshed and ready for the evening. Of course, she was supposed to do homework but she did it in class. Browsing the books in her mini 'library', she finally chose the book about the World Government (that everyone on the island had) written by well…the World Government. She got through half of the book which included the forming of the Government, and several detailed accounts of large-scale wars. Checking the time, she closed the book, thinking how the Marines and WG was able to keep the entire world she knew in balance, taking away some of the largest threats of the world and keeping the innocent safe, admiring the rules of 'justice' so rightfully written down. Sighing, she carelessly put her hair up into a high ponytail and fastened it with a thick black hair tie that's able to resist the weight of her hair.

-Sonia's POV-

I walked down the old wooden steps and saw Aunty unstacking the chairs and placing them around the tables. She owns the inn and bar of the town, being an 'excellent bartender' according to most of the guests. I often think that they also come here for the excellent entertainment we have here most nights, namely, me. I'm a singer and dancer and I love it, I always get lots of beri and a good dinner after performing.

Before long, the in-house guests come downstairs to have their meal and several people from other towns flow in. It's time to shine.

I jumped onto a platform at the side of the room with my back facing the window, knowing that it'll make an interesting effect. My instincts just took over from there. Like most times, I started singing a song that I never heard before, often in some strange language unknown. I started dancing to the abnormally fast song with my own style, a style that I could gladly say can't be found anywhere else in the world.

* * *

_Just one day, __突然朝まで__  
__バカ騒ぎの__Boys__引き連れて__  
__どれだけ遊んでたの__? with club chics__  
__まるでどこかのカサノヴァ気取り__  
__不適切な関係を楽しんだくせに__  
__何もなかったような振りをして__  
__そんなの見逃す訳に行かない__  
__今から解らせてあげるわ_

In the corner of my eye, I can see Dayi (The lead boy I beat up) leaning against the wall. I knew something would happen, I think I'll just do one performance tonight, I'm getting tired anyway.

_どっかに行けば__Then I can go out__  
__勝手にしな__I can mess around__  
__どっちにしたって__Ain't nothing new__  
Anything you do, I'll do it better than you  
__ふざけた恋愛ゲーム__Fine I can play games__  
__焦って隠すネーム__I can do the same__  
__この世で一番スルドイもの__  
__女の勘をあざむくのは不可能__こっそりやってのけて__put'em up!__  
__つい出来心ところが致命傷__  
__お陰でふっ切れたわジレンマ__  
I can get down, I can get down  
__隠し通すのが__rule__  
__うかれてバレるのは__fool__  
If you got chics then you better put'em up  
__失ってからじゃ遅いから_

* * *

I stopped in my 'plus' pose, I form a plus sign with my forearms in the right side of my face, putting my glittering golden eye in the spotlight. I swallowed in all of the applause and whistles from the audience, quickly gave a bow and jumped off the 'stage'. As I made my way to the back of the house where the stairs were, I received few coins and notes which I stuffed into my pocket. Feeling a few hairs prickle on my neck, I turned around only to meet the intent gaze of Dayi, I knew he hadn't forgiven me, and he will try his best to make me pay.

* * *

**A/N: Hello again random people in the world. As some of you may have noticed, I changed the protagonist's name to 'Sonia'. The song shown in here is another sung by the one and only Namie Amuro 'Put Em Up', it's really upbeat and it'll really help you imagine what's going on if you just search up a video with her dancing (her MV is the best). So cya in the next chapter!**


	5. That Day

**_The Next Morning…_**

Sonia ran down the stairs, this time able to catch her breakfast. She was spreading butter over her toast until Zia walked up to her with an unusual grin.  
"Do you know what day it is?" asked Zia in a singsong voice.

Sonia raised her eyebrow and said, "2nd of August…oh" trailing off as she realised it was _that_ day. She facepalmed at her forgetfulness, how can she forget about _this_ day of _all_ days.

"Happy Birthday Sonia". Zia pulled a dark blue velvet box from her pocket and handed it to her. Looking at her aunt with surprise, she opened it, gaping in awe at the contents within. It was a gold pendant of a long-tailed bird with a crest on its head, the metal had oxidized into a rich purple colour, much like her hair. She knew that shops never sold oxidised objects, therefore, her aunt must've scrounged around the market looking for a present for her.

"Thank you Aunt Zia!" said Sonia whilst fastening the strong gold chain around her neck.  
"No problem, it's fine to spoil a child on the most important day of its life. Now let's get you shining for school"

They climbed up the stairs and Sonia went over to the closet. After some consideration, she picked out a pair of denim shorts that's easy to move in and a mint green tank top. Settling down on the stool in front of the mirror, she let Zia carefully arrange her hair in a loose waterfall twist. Once Zia was satisfied with the result, she produced a purple anemone, the island symbol for anticipation and one flower every girl should wear on their tenth birthday. Tucking it behind her ear and clipping it onto the golden and purple waves. Sonia grabbed her bag and walked out of the house; this time, properly saying goodbye to Zia.

**_7 hours later…_**

Sonia was happy with the outcome of the audition for the best school in the world, no school can say no to a unique and talented student anyway. Her sense of hearing suddenly heightened, Sonia immediately became more alert. Danger was on the way. She saw a certain grinning boy down the path walking towards her. Choosing to stand still and wait for him to attack first, she wondered whether he'll give up yet, since she had injured him and his cronies several times already, not that she beat them senseless. Dayi stood right in front of her, tilting his head downwards. With a voice that would promise hurt if unlistened to, he asked "Are you going to join me or are you going to die?"

"Pshhh… who are you kidding? All humans die sooner or later anyway so of course I choose death over you, of course, I won't die anytime soon if you don't up your game," retorted Sonia, "You're just bitter because of _him_".  
Dayi said with a smirk, "True, he's always here protect you, but now that he's gone..."

Sonia sensed someone creeping behind her; she waited until the figure was right where her strongest kick would be. She jumped and performed a flawless and powerful spinning kick, right in the face. The man stepped back, rubbing his now bruised jaw.

"You're right Dayi, she's smart, spicy and full of spirit, she'll definitely fetch us a high price," said the large man with a smirk.

Sonia gave a snarl as she was attacked from both sides, one side had guns and one side had blades. She was extremely sure that she excels in hand-to-hand combat but when she was faced with weapons, she wasn't so sure.

* * *

(skip this paragraph if you don't like reading boring, badly-written fight scenes)

She dodged a lot of attacks and was able to receive a shallow cut. So far, no bullets had been shot. While she was focusing more on Dayi, the other attacker took the chance and punched her underneath the ribs. She skidded on the dirt floor, gaining several scratches from the jagged rocks. Pushing off the floor, she launched herself at the large man before he was able to pull out any of his pistols. Unfortunately for her, the man was able to deflect her attack by swiping her to the side. Sonia gingerly stood up, only to be attacked by Dayi with his unskilful blades. She was able to dodge all of the slashes but she knew that her stamina was fading. Both of them stood several meters apart, breathing heavily. Sonia then heard a hand clutching something metallic, a…_shit._ She dodged a bullet that was coming her way, and once again she started her dance, gracefully avoiding the bullets, although her speed was decreasing bit by bit.

Dayi then grabbed her from behind and the bullet struck her. Then why didn't she feel any pain?

* * *

**A/N: Hi people, I've been pretty busy lately. Personally, I think this chapter's just plain bad. You guys may have noticed that Sonia's fighting skills increase when she sings, when she doesn't... well she doesn't fight as well.**


	6. Training

SPLASH! Sonia jerked awake, finding that her entire body was drenching and smelled of sea. Wait… Her ankles were shackled and chained to the floor and her wrists were chained above her head. Empty crates and loose cannonballs rolled around the space. Before her stood the man that had attacked her, and he had an empty bucket in his hand. Her eyes turned into a dark purple, almost black, this is the colour of anger and promise of pain. Her captor seemed to think otherwise. "Oh, so you're finally scared huh? You had some guts, I tell ya, attacking me like that. If I didn't need the money I would've kept ya for myself".

Sonia temporarily thought that he was mad, who did he think he is, treating a fellow human like this? She looked at her shoulder, and sure enough, there was a wound, not big enough to be a bullet, but more like a needle. She mentally facepalmed herself, _how can I be so stupid, it's a sleeping dart._

"GAHAHAHAH, you'll bring me wealth and I'm sure you'll be treated nicely by your new masters," he hissed.

_Wait a moment… he's planning to turn me into… a slave?_ Sonia mentally shook her head at the thought. _No, no, no, the world government had abolished the slave trade, this shouldn't be happening… _She decided to play the fearful and innocent part.

"And may I ask, who may you be?" She asked in the sweetest voice she can muster. If all of the sweetness were packed in a cake, one bite of it will make you either faint, or become hyper.

"Ah, how rude of me, I'm Marshall D. Train", he said with a stage bow.  
"D? What a strange initial", noted Sonia.  
"So is 'N'." said Teach.  
Sonia's head snapped up and looked him in the eye, her eyes spilling dangerous intent. "How did you know that?"  
"I have my sources and this is particular one is a young lad named Dayi", smiled Train.  
"That saitei zunga asdfjkl", muttered Sonia under her breath.  
"Anyways, I have all your personal information, your name, your fighting skills, I even know your attitude", stated Train, "Now sit here and relax, don't try anything".

He went up the stairs and left her in the darkness.

* * *

**_Several weeks later…_**

_-Sonia's POV-_

I hung limply from the chains above my head, my entire body throbbed with pain. Apparently Train thought it'll be great fun to make me his personal punch bag, thinking it'll be great to 'break' my spirit, even if just a slight bit. I've been on the ship for I-don't- know-how-long, maybe around a month? I just know that he comes down pretty often and that I'm hungry and thirsty, all I got was a slice of bread he stuffed down my throat and I'm pretty sure that was a week ago.

I heard footsteps and I braced myself for another session of abuse. Train stood right in front of me and said, "We're near our destination and I'm sure that this'll work just fine, so cooperate".

I opened one of my eyes and said quietly, "Like hell".  
He punched my head and I fell unconscious.

* * *

**A/N: I'm sorry I didn't update for a long time, I was on a family trip to a place with no wifi. So to make it up to you guys I'll be posting 5 chapters. No you didn't read it wrong, it's** **5. I was so freaking bored. The quality must've dropped cos it didn't seem to make sense in my head. Oh well, my fault. I basically have the entire story plotted down in bullet points, I just have to make them into chapters. **

**There'll definitely be time-skips, songs and ideas/OCs/weapons/devil fruits/plots from some other fanfictions I liked, so if you're one of them, please don't kill me (although I understand if you want to). I'm open for criticism/flames/suggestions/reviews/questions. **


	7. Path to Despair

_Several days later…_

She woke up due to the massive jolt that hit the ship. The sound of the anchor being dropped was heard clearly from the brig. She heard the all-too-familiar footsteps of her captor. He grabbed her by her dirty hair, looked her in the eye and said, "You'd better behave, don't make things harder than it already is". He stuffed an old rag into her mouth and tied a strong piece of cord around her head, making an effective gag. Then he fastened a belt around her pale neck, and fastened a chain to it, a collar and a leash. Then he finally unfastened her wrists from the ceiling, and tied them tightly behind her back with rough rope. Grabbing her from her waist, he sack carried her into the daylight. Sonia squinted in the light, when her eyes finally adjusted; she saw a building not too far away, probably the destination that was meant for her. Not going to happen.

She headbutted Train on the chin and broke into the fastest run she can while her feet were in shackles. She didn't get very far before Train recovered enough to grab the chain connected to her neck. He gave a strong pull and Sonia fell to the floor, trying to recover from the nausea the adrenaline left her with. Picking her up like a doll, he set her on her bare feet. "Now walk", he barked. Sonia was too tired to register the meaning of this walk. This path… is called the path to oppression.

* * *

Train kicked open the door and asked the receptionist if he could see Disco. The receptionist pointed his cigarette to a green door. Train pushed open the door and shoved Sonia in it. Inside there was a small desk with three drawers and a large filing cabinet. Not to mention the various hooks in the wall, and a glass display cabinet showing a whip and a stack of collars with some sort of contraption stuck on them. Behind the desk was a man with shoulder-length light purple hair. He grinned and immediately stood up and scrutinized every inch of the young girl. Grabbing her hair and weighing it in his hand, he muttered to himself. Disco walked over to his desk and took out a piece of paper and handed it to Train. "You know what to do".

Train nodded, took a pen and started filling in the form. When he was done, all that was needed was a photo and for her to take the tolerance test. Disco pulled out a Den-den Mushi and dialled a number.

PURUPURUPURU CLANK. "Moshi moshi?" said a harsh voice.

"Martha, it's Disco, I have a kid for you to clean up, I'll give you 500 beri okay?"

"Make it 550", she snapped.

"Deal".

Disco motioned for Train to follow him with Sonia behind him. He led them to another room, this one smelling of lemon soap. A plump woman decorated with a large amount of gold jewellery came out to meet them. Nodding wordlessly, she took Sonia by the 'collar' and pulled her into the room. Disco turned his back on them and smiled at Train, "Let's talk about the price shall we?"

"Of course".

* * *

Sonia was dragged into a large room with a giant tub with three showerheads, and a makeup table with a large assortment of creams and powders littering the surface. The plump woman took off her gag and her shackles. Then without a warning, she threw Sonia into the cold water, as in _freezing_ cold. The woman took this chance to untie her wrists and chain them to two cuffs on the wall. Assured that her victim wouldn't run anywhere, she took off the collar along with the pieces of cloth that were once clothes. And thus, starts the scrubbing.

* * *

Train slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "I will take no less than 70%, I don't care if this trade is about to shut down, I need the money!"

Disco refused to give in and calmly stated, "I'm afraid 49.2% is the absolute most I can give you".

"I need to buy provisions, I need to fix the ship, I need to take care of my family and I can't do anything if I don't have the money".

"Fine, 53.1% and 15 planks of wood"

"Deal"

At that moment, the door slammed open and a firm Martha stood with a struggling clean, pale-skinned, glossy-haired Sonia in her hands. Sonia looked no worse for the wear and she had donned a figure-hugging gossamer dress that showed a lot more skin than she would've liked. Disco looked at Train and said, "You're right, she is a rare and beautiful specimen, her hair and skin colour just adds to it".

Train nodded at the praise and paid more attention to reading the contract. Disco reached into the display cabinet and grabbed a collar. These collars are slightly different from the bomb collars that were often used. These were the newly designed electronic collars, made to shock the wearer if the master or mistress wished to; all they had to do was to press the low, medium or high button on the remote. Looking at her necklace, he yanked it off her neck and looked at it; he dumped it onto the desk and snapped the collar where the necklace had once hanged. He pressed the 'medium' button and she fell to the ground.

"Up slave", Disco ordered

Sonia gingerly stood up; he took her wrists and once again, chained it above her head. Taking the whip from the cabinet he ran his fingers over the smooth wooden handle.

"This whip has been made to inflict pain upon others, yet leave no mark on them. I got this from a friend and it turned out to be extremely useful to this job", he smiled evilly. "Now let's see how many lashes you can take before you scream, and then until you pass out". He flipped the whip with expertise, steadily applying more forcet until the seventeenth lash; that was when Sonia let out a scream. Glass shattered and papers were knocked off the tables, those who were unfortunate enough to cover their ears a tad bit too late were deaf for the next week.

Disco whistled when he registered what just happened and quickly wrote it down in his notes.

"Stay until she's sold and I'll give you the money once we're done", he told Train.

Martha pulled her 'leash' and led her to the basement, or in other words, the cages. She threw her in and locked the door swiftly. All Sonia can do is curl up in a corner and ponder at what happened, and what would happen next.

* * *

**A/N: Pretty rough compared to some of the other fanfics I've read that include slaves, I'm just horrible at description, my friend also pointed out to me that my tenses and speech marks are appalling. Basically, this fanfiction at the moment sucks.**


	8. A Pinch of Gratitude

"Get number 25", said one of the jailors gruffly.  
"Only her?" asked the other, surprised that such a scruffy girl is going out for a solo.  
"Yes, now get going".

The guard sighed and unlocked the door, only to find the child snuggled up in a corner. This particular guard had only entered the business a month ago and was still not used to the sights of sinful acts human beings can commit. This little girl had hit a soft spot in him.

"Hey, I need to get you out of this cell, can you stand?" he whispered in a calming tone. Sonia nodded and clambered to her feet, wobbling slightly due to the lack of food and water. She followed him into the corridor and was surprised when he gently took the chain.

"I'm sorry, I could've helped you escape but if I did, I'll become a slave myself", explained the guard. Sonia nodded in understanding. No-one would want to ever be a slave, she didn't want to.

"I'll be as gentle as I can, but please, don't attack or thrash otherwise it'll be another person and I can assure you, he'll try to be as mean and rough as he can", he said.  
She was lead onto the stage into the spotlights. Thanks to the speakers, she can hear every word Disco said clearly, and they were soon burned into her mind.

"Here is a young girl the age of 10, as you can see, she has an unusual hair and eye colour. She has a great figure and can be shown in public eye. She also has some special powers that would be able to protect you from enemies and is able to fight close-combat extremely well, can be used in training if you would like. She has a spicy attitude and strong will that hasn't been broken yet, that may be decided by the buyer. She comes with the brand new electric collar. I will start the bid at 552,000 beri."

In the end, she was bought for 621,000 beri by a noble, and was lead to another room. The young guard said, "I'm so sorry, I really am, but I'm weak, I can't fight, not yet, I'm sorry". Sonia looked at him, his panic evident in his eyes. She gave him the only thing she had, her voice.

* * *

_There's a hero  
If you look inside your heart  
You don't have to be afraid  
Of what you are  
There's an answer  
If you reach into your soul  
And__the sorrow that you know  
Will melt away, hey_

_And then a hero comes along  
With the strength to carry on  
And you cast your fears aside  
'Cause you know you can survive  
So when you feel like hope is gone  
Look inside you and be strong  
And you'll finally see the truth  
That a hero lies in you_

* * *

The young guard calmed down, savouring the sweet melody and meaning of the song. Sonia's chain was then snatched from his hands, and she was yanked towards the metal door.

"Thank you", he whispered. A normal person wouldn't be able to hear it, but this is Sonia, and she can hear it very clearly. She threw him a smile, one that won't show again for a long time.

Train and Disco got their money, and Sir Cordue Leiriche got his slave nicely packed with shackles, chains, collar and cage. Sonia was shoved into a tiny cage where she can't properly move. She was loaded onto a cart along with several other slaves and she starts her journey to the house of her buyer. She will never call him 'master'.

* * *

**A/N: The song Sonia sang is 'Hero' by Mariah Carey.**


	9. Settling in

They were transported to a large mansion on a small private island easily reached by private speedboat, the house of the Leriche family. They were transferred to separate cells, not unlike a prison, because that's exactly what it is.

Sonia swept her hair behind her ear and her fingers brushed against the cold unyielding collar. She flinched, perfectly aware of what may happen if she set off the contraption. She saw a shadow on the floor and looked up, a man with a long black mane stood on the other side of the bars.

"I'm the Slave Master of this household, you are to obey me at all times unless the master family ordered otherwise, am I clear", he said in a booming voice. It didn't help that he had a black whip hooked to his belt. Sonia merely nodded, not daring to speak. The Slave Master threw her a bundle of grey cloth and said, "Get changed, you're going to clean the main lobby because you're pretty and it wouldn't matter if someone saw you".

Sonia froze as she realised that he's not going to leave. She went into the corner and quickly took off her green dress, just as she was about to don the dull long dress, he snapped his fingers.

"Turn around", he commanded. When she failed to respond immediately, she felt the buzzing around her throat. Once again, she fell to the ground.

"Stand up, or do you want to be punished again?"

Sonia did as she was told and he inspected her bare body.

"Good shape…no cuts…developing breasts…unique hair and eye colour…" he muttered, "Go change, you'll be set to work immediately".

* * *

**_Hours later…_**

She simply pretended to be unconscious, after all, she took a pretty big beating when he found a speck of dust. Her mind was full of escape plans and fear, but she knew she had to wait for the right moment if she wanted to survive. For now, she would pretend and act.

* * *

**A/N: I know this is short and could've been unnecessary. But that doesn't matter cause no-one is reading this anyway. **


	10. Hope and Freedom

She simply felt so lonely and she was sure that the other slaves were feeling the same. 'All of them looked…dead. Like they actually think they can't be free', thought Sonia, 'That's wrong on so many levels, no-one can control what they think. No. One.' Once again, she felt the major urge to sing, now more than ever. And sing she did, a moving song of emotion, able to move the coldest of hearts.

* * *

_I lie away  
__Alone as night has fallen  
__I listen, and it's clear I hear you calling  
__Don't be afraid, I love you  
__And I'll save you and protect you  
__And hold you gently, in my lovely arms_

Several other slaves looked up, some of them had tears in their eyes. Sonia wondered how long they hadn't heard music. Music is the balm of the soul, ears are there to _listen._

_Our Guardian Angel  
__Keeping watch till morning  
__Our Guardian Angel  
__With undying love_

_I'm safe with you to guide me  
__I rest with you beside me  
__My Guardian Angel from above_

_Sometimes I feel, the world is unforgiving  
__One day they battled, just to go on living  
__When all hope is fading  
__An angel then descending  
__When the dawn is breaking full of hope once more_

Some light had shed in some of their eyes, similar to how the song described _'the dawn is breaking full of hope once more'_. Sonia saw a sliver of hope, just a tiny bit was better than nothing.

_Our Guardian Angel  
__Keeping watch till morning  
__Our Guardian Angel  
__With undying love_

_I'm safe with you to guide me  
__I rest with you beside me  
__My Guardian Angel from above_

* * *

"Oi, stop that" shouted the slave master. Well, he said that at the end of the song instead of in the middle, that's something right? He stomped over and pulled Sonia out of her cell and threw her onto the floor, effectively knocking the wind out of her. All of the other slaves either looked at the scene with blank eyes or flinch whenever the treatment stretched a bit too far. None of them looked away.

In the end, Sonia had a completely new set of bruises; but that didn't hurt as much as the memory of seeing the light fade out and disappear completely out of the eyes of her floor mates.

* * *

**_A few months later…_**

Her knuckles were rubbed red and raw and blisters were forming on her knees, though she keeps rubbing the floor nonetheless. Light had gone out of her eyes, and they were now a permanent shade of purple. She's seen more than she should have in her young age, she's only ten after all. Although she has been able to wake up from her fearful stupor time to time, it is becoming rarer and rarer. The floor was shining, now it's time for the windows.

She grabbed another heavy bucket and brought it to the two-meter tall windows. She opened the curtains, squinting at the sunlight. Listening, she located the slave master several floors above, and would probably stay there for some time. She threw open the windows, took in a breath of warm air and choked. It was really different from the stale, cold air of the mansion. She then heard the chirping of a bird, oh how long it was since she heard any sound more than commands and chains. The feeling first came at a whisper, then a steady hum, then a sudden roar. 'I will make this one count', she swore to herself. And she burst into a song, the voice strong and hopeful, unlike the rags she was wearing.

* * *

_Th__ere is a place I call my own  
Where I can stand by the sea  
And look beyond the t__hings I've known  
And dream that I might be free_

_Like a bird above the trees_  
_Gliding gently on the breeze_  
_I wish that all my life I'd be_  
_Without a care and flying free_

_But life is not a distant sky_  
_Without a cloud, without rain_  
_And I can never hope that I_  
_Can travel on without pain_

She didn't notice a boy walking down the stairs behind her. He was attracted to her singing, since he was a prisoner of the mansion as well and had also been cut off from the world outside.

_Time goes swiftly on its way  
All too soon we've lost today  
I cannot wait for skies of blue  
Or dream so long  
That life is through_

_So life's a song that I must sing, a gift of love I must share_  
_And when I see the joy it brings, my spirits soar through the air_  
_Like that bird up in the sky, life has taught me how to fly_

_For now I know what I can be_  
_And now my heart is flying free_

* * *

"Hello".

Sonia jumped and looked, almost glared at the source of the voice. She immediately noted the green coat and black boots of the boy. Her suspicions were confirmed by the healthy skin colour and the well-groomed brown hair.

"Your singing was excellent", he said.

She just nodded her head. Recalling the rules that the Slave Master set; do not talk to anyone unless asked a question. She heard the clomping of metal against marble, 'Speak of the Devil', she thought, the boy turned around and faced his servant. If the Slave Master was surprised, he didn't show any hint of it.

"Amos, were you ever aware of the talent this servant has?" asked the brunette.  
"I'm afraid not Young Master", responded the Slave Master.  
The 'Young Master' pondered his choices and said, "I would like her to be upgraded to Level 4". Sonia's ears perked up at this.

The Servant/Slave system worked in levels. Level 1s are those who are completely broken and work behind the scenes, not to be seen by any eyes; Level 2s are allowed to be seen for brief moments only and work on cleaning; Level 3s work on the higher floors, serving the masters for 24 hours; Level 4s are those slaves who the masters favour and directly see, some of them are used for defensive purposes; Level 5s only consist of paid servants and they cook, dress, and serve their client for they receive large sums of money, the Slave Master is one of them.

It is said the higher the level the more exhausting it is and better the food, occasionally scraps right from the noble's table. Sonia's mouth just watered at the thought of it.  
"Of course Young Master, I'll put her there right away", bowed the Slave Master.  
Sonia wondered whether being near the nobles is a good or bad thing.

* * *

**A/N: There was a problem with the publishing the first time I posted. And then I forgot to put in the Authors' Note. Oh well. DOUBLE DIGITS! I seriously thought I wouldn't make it past 5 chapters. And the first song was 'Guardian Angel' by Bryn Terfel, the original was welsh and sounded really good, unfortunately I wasn't able to find the lyrics so I had to type up the English version. The second one is 'Flying Free' by Jenna Lynn, I sang this in choir and loved it. In case some people didn't catch on by now, it's handy to have youtube nearby when reading this fic.**


	11. Level 4

The Slave Master followed the noble boy and pulled Sonia to a room she's never been in before. He chained her to one of the hooks, bowed to the master walked backwards towards the door. The 'Young Master' turned to her and formally introduced himself, "My name is Leriche Cordue Lorenzo". He stuck out his gloved hand. Sonia weighed the outcomes of taking the hand or not. She chose the former.

"Cantare N. Sonia", she said, shaking the smooth hand.

"Hello Sonia, your new upgrade to a Level 4 gives you certain…privileges such more food (read as 'scraps') and new clothes. You will also have a job and role to fulfill, the job I chose for you is being my personal entertainer, this means singing which I'm sure you have talent for, and entertaining my family and guests." He explained.

"You may now choose your clothes from the racks in front of you, please keep in mind that your attire should fit your job".

Sonia was unchained from the wall and the noble held the remote for her collar in his hands. There was all sorts of clothes, leather vests, linen tunics, silk kimonos, you name it, they have it. She mentally shrugged her shoulders, although she can see several skimpy outfits and her old green dress in the corner. In the end, she chose a pair of denim shorts that reached mid-thigh (since it's the only pair that fit), and a t-shirt that had flowing shirtsleeves and was at least 2 sizes bigger. She eyed a sapphire blue piece of gossamer and took it, her experience tells her that gossamer material is very useful as an accessory. Nodding to the boy to signal she was done, he pushed a button in the wall, no doubt to tell the slave master to get her out of his sight.

He then went to a drawer to pull out a pair of gold bangles and placed them on the table.

"Put those on", he said, "This will identify you as a Level 4 of a noble". Sonia noticed he never said 'Slave'.

The Slave Master came stomping like usual and took her neck chain in his rough hands and pulled her once again to another dark dungeon (How many dungeons does this freakin' mansion have?!). At least this one's comfier.

* * *

**A/N: Hello, this is chapter is extremely short. It's kind of a mark of her time with the nobles. And I know. It sucks. A lot. I updated the chapters though, nothing too major, just formatting, renaming, and rewriting some stuff (cos some of it does sound stupid). Anyway, the main focus is in later chapters. **

**Overall, this story would have 4 parts: her past (which is now), Meeting the WHITEBEARD PIRATES and her time with them (I know, the cliche bit of 'slave saved by Whitebeard Family, but hey, this is the bit where the humor comes in), Leaving WB Pirates (to meet a certain organization, become a world-famous celebrity, get a bounty poster, then find out her legacy), and last but not least (DEFINITELY NOT LEAST) the War of the Best: Marineford. So if you insist on reading this bad piece of writing, you have to be patient. I'm typing 24/7 cos school is about to start (and I didn't do homework) :P PEACE OUT.**


	12. A Simple Dinner

_**Approximately 7 years later...**_

She sipped a cup of water in her cell, which, she had to say, was a lot more luxurious than the one she had a few years ago. It had become clear for the Slave Master that the noble boy liked her company so he asked the head builder to add bars to one of the numerous spare rooms in the mansion that's on the same floor as the 'masters' semi private quarters (the private quarters is where they sleep and go to the toilet). Basically, she lives 2 rooms away from the hall/ballroom and 6 rooms away from their private dining room. The smell of roast meat tortures her to no end every day. Of course she had some of it once they're finished, sometimes given to her by one of the servants (the nobles are too paranoid to have slaves that don't like them personally serving them food, they have a point though).

A servant wearing a butler's outfit with opened the cell door and looked at her with steely grey eyes. "The young master expects you to perform tonight for his family and guests", he said in a monotone. Sonia gracefully stood up from her bed of old cushions (they were pretty new actually, just that the 'mistress' doesn't want them anymore) and checked herself in the mirror, taking the gossamer scarf, she tied it around her waist like a long skirt, letting the material flow over her toned legs.

Her collar had been upgraded several times since she tried to escape a month ago, and 3 months before that, and another 2 years back. Right now, if she went over a certain boundary, the collar would release a powerful surge and knock her out on the spot, it also has a little silver bell, as if to tell others where she was. The designers had recoloured it so it matched the blue material she wore every time she performed, they also gave her several outfits for various occasions. Overall, her life wasn't too bad except that she wasn't allowed to go anywhere and was forced to stay in her cell and twiddle her thumbs, at least she's alive right? Bored, but alive.

She strode out of the cell door, if it wasn't for her collar, you would've thought she was one of the nobles. Two maids of equal height opened the doors in sync and Sonia took her place in the corner of the room. The rich scent of chocolate almost made her mouth water, but she had a job to do.

* * *

_-Sonia's POV-_

_I'm so glad you made time to see me._

_How's life? Tell me how's your family?_

_I haven't seen them in a while._

_You've been good, busier than ever,_

_We small talk, work and the weather,_

_Your guard is up and I know why._

_Because the last time you saw me_

_Is still burned in the back of your mind._

_You gave me roses and I left them there to die._

None of them noticed I was there, maybe the noble boy might've glanced at me a few times when I sang something a tad bit sensitive, but who was I to care?

_So this is me swallowing my pride,_

_Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night,"_

_And I go back to December all the time._

_It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you._

_Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine._

_I'd go back to December, turn around and make it all right._

_I go back to December all the time._

This bit was my favourite, well, the first line anyway, the rest of it was just bull.

_These days I haven't been sleeping,_

_Staying up, playing back myself leavin'._

_When your birthday passed and I didn't call._

_And I think about summer, all the beautiful times,_

_I watched you laughing from the passenger side._

_Realized I loved you in the fall._

And that lady who seemed to have glitter dumped on her listened in to the lyrics, hmm… she must be one of those dreamy nobles who live in fiction books, they're nicer to other people, though just as ignorant.

_And then the cold came, the dark days when fear crept into my mind_

_You gave me all your love and all I gave you was "Goodbye"._

_So this is me swallowing my pride_

_Standing in front of you saying, "I'm sorry for that night."_

_And I go back to December all the time._

_It turns out freedom ain't nothing but missing you,_

_Wishing I'd realized what I had when you were mine._

_I'd go back to December, turn around and change my own mind_

_I go back to December all the time._

That wasn't half bad I guess, now I have to continue for the next ten minutes then I'm out of there and back to my cell, probably with a bit of leftover soup. What I didn't expect was for Lorenzo (If you're Sonia, read as Lorry) to enter the room and stare at her through the bars. This was the first time he stood within a meter of a slave (noble rules). Maybe he was going through that rebellious age all teenagers have, yes, even spoiled nobles.

"My family and I are going on a cruise ship tomorrow, we'll be away for a month".

I just nodded at the news, well with nothing to do, the Slave Master would probably put me back to scrubbing, not that I minded, I'm bored out of her mind.

"I'm taking you along with me."

_What? _I slowly turned my head towards him.

"You are gong to perform in front of everyone in the cruise, plus our meals and maybe as music in the ballroom as well."

FINALLY! Something exciting. I'll probably be exhausted by the end of each day though… oh well, it's worth it.

"Each servant is allowed to take a small bag along with them, I suggest you prepare for upcoming performances".

He slid something between the bars and left.

I took the little wrapped rectangle. 'CHOCOLATE' shouted out against the black packaging, it's the highest quality too. The little bar of heaven had been reduced into a brown gooey mess when it was unwrapped, and I ate every last speck of it. Licking my fingers, I looked through my closet, which is another wardrobe that the 'mistress' didn't want. Taking several performance worthy clothes, (only pair of) shorts and tshirt, hairbrush and cup and shoving it into a makeshift bag made of cushion cases. Tomorrow huh? This is going to be fun, I let a small smirk grace my lips.

* * *

**A/N: Hello people, I haven't updated for a while. My fault. School is starting in 3 days - last minute homework. Kill me. Ok... the song is 'Back to December' by Taylor Swift (I call her T-Swizzle). You might've thought 'Why is Sonia in such good condition? Isn't she a slave?' Well, it's because Sonia's so pretty and she's a master's favourite that she can only be punished if the master wishes so. She ****_had_**** been beaten when she tried to escape of course, standard procedure. I know that this part isn't essential and is absolutely ****unnecessary but is there to care? Pretty much no one. I'll probably update the summary soon.**


	13. Helping Those in Need

They took Sonia on board the ship, seemingly with extra care and caution. Looks like they know about her escapades, not surprised, they wouldn't want the boss to be mad cause they lost the Young Masters' favourite slave. Of course, they went to measures of extra chains and a search through her stuff. Once she was deemed safe, they put her in the brig with some other slaves next to some crates of fruit. Sonia shivered, those days with Train never disappeared from her mind. She reached for an apple from one of the crates, one lesson she learned from being a slave is to eat whenever possible. The other slaves looked at the crates with such a longing that she, as a human being, cannot ignore. She passed the fruit to the other slaves and they ate like starved wolves, they even ate the cores! 'Well, they are starving.' Sonia looked at the apple core in her hand. 'I'm actually a whole lot luckier than them, I'm given my own room, proper food…" Her thoughts were interrupted by the door slamming open.

"Who here is the Lorenzo's pet?" yelled a broad-shouldered man. All the other slaves hid the fruit behind their backs, afraid from being punished for stealing food that they desperately need. Fortunately for them, Sonia stood up and looked at him, her light purple eyes piercing the darkness.

"I suppose that should be me, although I have to say, I would prefer to be called his private entertainer", she said in a steady tone. The last part wasn't necessary but a girl needs to keep her pride. The man though, was wrinkling his nose in disgust. "You need to watch your mouth girl, I'm the Head of Servants of the prestiged Ospina family and your masters obviously didn't break you enough".

He took her chain and pulled her along clean white-tiled corridors, her bell tinkling with every step she took and it evidently annoyed him. They stopped at a thick steel door which had 3 keyholes and a keypad. The man fumbled with the keys for a moment and it swung open, the keypad untouched. Sonia tried to hear the sound of buzzing that usually came from electronics but only heard a faint "zing, zing". It's the sound of a single wire, so that means the keypad is a trap. Tucking this information in her head, she followed him into the room and her eyes widened in horror.

Girls, no older than 30 sat on the cold floor wearing rags that barely covered any skin. "You'll be living with these _sluts_ until someone moves you" he breathed into her ear "I'm sure that this would break you enough to hold that tongue", as swiftly as he said it, the door slammed close. In the far corner was a small girl with steel grey hair that was covering her eyes. Though what attracted her was the near inaudible murmurs of "No more, no more" rolling from the girl. Sonia crouched down in front of the girl, "Hello" she whispered gently. The little girl raised her head and Sonia was taken aback. Those eyes were crimson, red as blood, red as anger. She must have seen her flinch, for she immediately curled up into a tighter ball.

"Poor thing, she must've been left out, bullied and discriminated since she was a baby". Sonia unconsciously touched her hair. She hesitantly and slowly embraced her, careful not to scare her. Her forehead touched hers and she felt a stream of thoughts flowing into hers, she didn't know where they came from or what they were, but she knew what to say.

"You were never alone."

**- WHERE THE HELL DID THE HORIZONTAL LINE BUTTON GO!-**

_I searched for love when the night came and it closed in_

_I was alone, but You found me where I was hiding_

_And now I'll never ever be the same_

_It was the sweetest voice that called my name, saying_

_You're not alone for I am here_

_Let me wipe away your every fear_

_My love, I've never left your side_

_I have seen you through the darkest night_

_And I'm the One who's loved you all your life_

_All your life_

Sonia pulled away and looked directly into the red eyes, her golden eyes shining with emotion and care.

_You cry yourself to sleep_

_~Cause the hurt is real and the pain cuts deep_

_All hope seems lost with heartache your closest friend_

_And everyone else long gone_

_You've had to face the music on your own_

_But there is a sweeter song that calls you home, saying_

_You're not alone for I am here_

_Let me wipe away your every tear_

_My love, I've never left your side_

_I have seen you through the darkest night_

_And I'm the One who's loved you all your life_

_All your life_

She stood up and faced the rest of the room and spread out her arms, one would be able to see light shining from her, like an angel...

_Faithful and true forever_

_My love will carry you_

_You're not alone for I, I am here_

_Let me wipe away your every fear_

_My love, I've never left your side_

_I have seen you through the darkest night_

_Your darkest night_

_And I'm the One who's loved you all your life_

_All your life_

The last notes echoed in the small room. '_That was even better than usual, I wonder what happened' _thought Sonia. The females seemed to look better, one of them even looked like was almost smiling. _Almost_.

She spent the next few days living with them, raising their spirits. According to their stories, the little girl didn't have a real name and was what nobles call a 'by-product' of their nights. Her mother was dead. She was now one of the favourites of the noble, since she always does as she was told. They say that he was looking forward to the day he breaks her. Sonia shivered in disgust, she didn't know what they were talking about, but she knew that it was probably disgusting, morbid, and downright bad.

The little girl was sleeping peacefully, using her lap as a pillow. Sonia brushed some of the grey hair away from her eyes. She accidentally touched her forehead and gasped as something intruded her own thoughts. Her fingers and the forehead of the unnamed girl were glowing with golden light. Then she heard it.

"_Venetia… my Venetia."_

The little girl shifted and Sonia pulled away her finger guiltily as she realised that she was listening in to her dreams. Her legs were feeling numb and she was about to wake up anyway, so she gently shook her shoulder.

"Venetia, wake up".

Her red eyes snapped open and she sat up like a spring.

"Shh… it's okay, there's nothing to be afraid of…" she hesitated, then added "Venetia…"

"Did you just call her Venetia?" asked Mevyll, one of the older girls in the room.

"Yes, I did. Why did you ask?" asked Sonia.

"Venetia was the middle name of her mother" she said softly.

"It's now her name, she deserves one", smiled Sonia.

"I suggest you be careful, Masters don't use names, if you mention one, you might get punished", warned Mev.

This made Sonia remember about the noble boy. Ever since she met him, he always called her 'you' or 'Sonia'.What was it that made him different from other nobles?


End file.
